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They open their eyes in hell, being in torments!
(Thomas
Reade)
It is to be feared that thousands, who call themselves
Christians, will never be acknowledged as such in that
great day, when the secrets of all hearts shall be
revealed, and the real character of every professor
of godliness distinctly known.
Too many, it is to be feared, substitute a 'general
acknowledgment of the truths of the Bible', for that
faith in those truths which purifies the heart, and
assimilates the soul to the image of Jesus.
So long as thousands, who bear the Christian name,
live in all the gayeties and follies of the world;
neglecting the Gospel, and manifesting a spirit in
direct opposition to it; we cannot wonder that such
multitudes, carried away by the potent stream of
public example, rest satisfied with a faith which
passes current in the world, which attaches no
transformation to the character, which requires
no self denial, no painful sacrifices on the part
of its possessors.
Many, no doubt, live in what they term the innocent
gayeties of life, and the delights of fashionable
extravagance. These people pride themselves on their
superior wisdom in being able to grasp both worlds at
once; to acknowledge the importance of Christianity,
and yet to enjoy those carnal gratifications which give
such a zest to their existence.
Thus they go on, like the rich man in the parable,
faring sumptuously every day; and never find out
their dreadful mistake, until, like him, they
open
their eyes in hell, being in torments!
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